Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1887-04-28
A TRIP SOUTH.

qurstcd to write for your paper some of the
preston Ia Il Few of thc observations made
also some of The impressions.
Naturally tgaNrl in This direction trayrrs-
cS Baltimore aud New York hut familiarity
with these cities ON the part of your readers
forbid any further mention here
Passing through Richmond, of which city
! will spcal, later in this article, down into
North Carolina, the objective point, found
myself right in the tobacco belt where that
article is of fine quality, the staple crop and
Il natural sequence, the colorrd population
very strong
Blue Wing is in rich copper ore district
of considerable territory aud where veins at
places crop ont ou the top. Saw several
shafts that are sunk Ia depth of the ore,
about 80 feet, the other about - feet, and
ore assays from ~ 10 80 per cent. with veins
given rs being from > to feet thick and
continuous There is no railroad nor smrlt-
cr there Vet, both of which the ore district
needs Ia facilitate the handling and ship
ping of the products nf the mines, and the
agriculturiSts very much need the road too.
y Mr.. EINcr, a very cntcrpriSing Northern
man, from this state who is largely inter
rSted in ore properties there, has formed II
company and is now building railroad
from ClarllSvillr, Va, Ia the ore district,
with charter privileges To Durham, y. {.
He is husily engaged in grading the road
bed, and about one half of the grading he
tween ClarkSyillc and Blue Wing is now
done
Property can yet be bought very reason
able and think il is the right thing for i'll
N"S;crS Ia do 10 acquire interest in ore lands
there. The land itself is worth the prices il
can be purchased for now, is in "A fine,
healthy location, and the spring season
aboat one month earlier than here That
the completion of the railroad with the in-
tiuN of Northern enterprise and capital will
cause general boom is apparently without
question.
Apple trees there were all in bloom on the
10th instant, and all other vegetation equal
ly advanced. Land throughout Virginia
and North Carolina can be bought for from
> Ia II dollars per acre, any amount of il
for sale and no question, large part OF il
is al right ii treated nationally.
You find places in elegant condition, the
buildings, fences and land right among
lands that AT first sight and no further in-
formation would seem as probably ire
dcemahle, caused by ruinous cropping until
exhausted without application of manure or
lime The curse of that country in meas
urc has been the colorci share farmer who
admirably does burlcslue farming, is too
shiltleSS, thrittlcss, simply plundcring the
soil until it refuses 10 yield compensatng
crops.
Some times We hear of men going South
| huying large tracts of land and losing their
money. These parties purchase much more
land than they have money 10 pay for, give
mortgage for their Indebtedness, have no
means lctt to improve their land result,
the mortgage accumulations wipes them
| out
y conversation with an intelligent mer-
chant from Richmond verified the above oh
Srrvation; is good authority, having been
reared ON Il farm west of thar city, is con-
vcrSaut with the wants of farming and the
landed interests of that state, quoted person.
al instances where parties took this plan
and failed. also enumerated instances of a
reverse course taken with striking success.
lie said, 'invcst half your capital in land,
the balance take and cNpend in improving
the same, 10y that time Your farm will bc
worth three times the cost of outlay in land
in the first instance and in addition thereto
be then in 4 money making, producing con-
dition."
Taking il in generally my judgement is
that the culorcd race does improve slowly
i'll morals and culture in some sections 10 n
greater degree than in others, in outlying
districts their vices shiftlcSs condition and
neglect of school privileges being upon in
quiry and observation of a lower standard
| than where they come more in contact with
| the outside world. They have the general
| reputation down there of disdaining manual
| labor after they acquire a fair education and
Gen'l. Cameron, no doubt, was right few
years ago when he said their educational
training should be of Il dual character. in
dustrial and mental.
The people generally want emigration
from the North, particularly do they want
our farmers To come, want no political adj
venturcrs. The newcomer has the privil-
! eye of selecting his own society character
and attainments qualifying however, if he
takes to the low classes and negroes he
is quietly permitted To remain there. There
is a certain generosity and chivalrous
courtesy that we do not find among us here
and these dispositions coupled with the
strong desire for men 10 come and invest
among them are ut least some of the half
hidden springs prompting to make matters
as agreeable as possible 10 the Northern
soiourncr.
On my return determined to do up Rich
mond Va, before going home. 1t is a
thriving, hustling city, clean, apparently
healthy, situated on IN elevation above the
James River. Steamers come up to the
eastern end of the city, a railway centre
fine public buildings, many fine churches
the residence portions fine and much of it
new. The place bristles with historic
| points, mostly relating to the late civil war
Libby prison is now used for guano ware
! house and looks to he good for many years
| To come. The oldest church in the State
and pew therein from which Patrick Henry
made his memorable Revolutionary address
was among the interesting historic points
visited. After visiting or seeing about all
| the points of interest, a party of three of us
| called on GOV. Lee: found him both a genial
| courteous gentleman of martial bearing and
| fine presence.
He appears To feel gratified that sectional
| ism is fast becoming Il matter of history,
that capital and farmers are pouring into
his state and told us that about three mill
ion dollars were invested by Northcrnmen
in that state within the thirty days prior to
our visit.
\ view from the Capitol dome is grand
| the view is unobStructed for % miles in all
I I IL.